Contextual sensory integration training vs. traditional vestibular rehabilitation: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Jennifer Kelly, Daphna Harel, Santosh Krishnamoorthy and 9 others
PMID 37568216WHAT IT FOUND
Both traditional vestibular rehab and an immersive VR headset program improved dizziness and walking balance equally.
The VR approach was not superior to standard care in this small pilot, though both groups saw clinically important gains over eight weeks.
Key findings
01Both groups improved significantly on the Functional Gait Assessment, with a mean difference of 6.405 points.
02There was no significant difference between the VR group and the traditional group on any outcome measure.
03The Dizziness Handicap Inventory showed a mean reduction of 18.703 points, meeting the minimal clinically important difference for the group overall.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was a small pilot with only 30 participants, which may have been underpowered to detect differences between groups. High dropout rates occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced the outcomes. The Functional Gait Assessment was administered by the treating therapist rather than a blinded assessor, which could introduce bias. The sample included patients with central vestibular disorders and subacute cases, limiting generalizability to pure chronic peripheral vestibular hypofunction. Adherence to the home exercise program was not officially tracked.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the NIH (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders). No commercial conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that VR therapy is ineffective; both groups improved significantly. The null result between groups indicates equivalence in this small sample, not that the VR approach lacks value, especially given the lack of blinding and potential underpowering.